When a West Coast town saw a rise in crime, a group of locals decided they’d had enough. Now while Westport sleeps, the Kawatiri Knight Owls keep watch.

It’s the middle of the night in the small West Coast town of Westport, but residents Willie and Vanessa aren’t ready for sleep. Instead, they’re cruising the streets looking for trouble. Willie and Vanessa are members of the Kawatiri Knight Owls, a unique community patrol formed in response to drug-related crimes in Westport. Fed up with the frequent car thefts and burglaries, and with local police resources already stretched, a group of mates got together and decided to form the Knight Owls. 

They are an unlikely group of crime-fighting heroes. Vanessa runs the fish and chip shop, while Alicia works in the pub. Callum and Christine joined after the Knight Owls helped deter an intruder from their home, while Rodney has had his own battle with the same drugs the Knight Owls are fighting. They’re locals helping locals, volunteers who drive the streets to keep their community safe during the cold, dark West Coast nights.  

The patrols are usually quiet affairs. “Person on the left? Dodgy,” Vanessa tells Willie, as they scan the streets for anything unusual. Christine and Rodney circle back to check on something weird outside the dairy, but it’s just a letterbox. Nothing gets past the Knight Owls. A guy with a beard they haven’t seen before? Noted. Police cruising around? They see it. Alicia does a couple of laps after her shift at the pub. She’s knackered, and her partner worries about her, but Alicia’s determined to do her bit. “I like people, and I need to know people are safe,” she says. 

As his car lights up the streets of Westport, Rodney talks about how the Knight Owls have changed his life. The patrols give him a purpose, he says, and if someone’s struggling, he knows the Knight Owls will be there. They might be a motley group of crime-fighters, but the Knight Owls put their community first and fight crime with compassion. To them, this is more than just a neighbourhood watch. It’s about making a difference, one night at a time, and in their own unique way. As Vanessa says: “If everyone did that, it would be a better world.” 

Come along for the ride with The Knight Owls. Made with support from NZ On Air.